Mixed with Black
by Icka M. Chif
Summary: A series of un-related exploratory fics, each named after the colours in the Magic Kaitou character names. Final Chapter up: The Rules of a Kaitou.
1. Akako : Burgundy

Notes: I recently had a shift in how we perceived the characters, and began writing a series of fics, exploring those changes in the characters in an effort to understand them better. There'll be 4 total: Akako, Aoko, Hakuba and Kaito.   
Colours: Burgundy  
By Icka! M. Chif  
  
  
It's frustrating.  
  
I want the Kaitou Kid. The Kaitou Kid isn't interested in me. Which is un-usual, because every man wants me. It's both my blessing and my curse.   
  
This makes the Kid an obstacle. The world will be mine on a silver platter when every man is under my control. And who wouldn't want the world? But the Kid isn't co-operating.   
  
Normally this wouldn't be a problem. A simple spell, badda-boom, badda-bing, and he'd be eating candy from my fingers. Yet somehow it never works. I can never get past his defenses. In his own way, he is as powerful as I am.   
  
But he does have one chink in his armour.   
  
Five foot Five, blue eyes, brown hair, fierce like a mountain lion yet sweet as chocolate and utterly clueless to who he really is, Nakamori Aoko sits to his left in class. Except for the times that she chases him around the classroom of course.   
  
Saguru's noticed me staring at Aoko and shoots me a warning glare. I smirk back. If the Kid was a sleek shark among minnows, then Saguru was the golden lion among wolves. The leading expert on the International Thief 1412, he too has more than a passing interest in the Kid.   
  
Much to my amusement, he's also fiercely protective of both the Kid's alter ego, Kuroba, and Nakamori. Probably without realising it. As far as he's is concerned, no one is going to capture the Kid other than himself.  
  
The Kid seemed to find it slightly amusing, if a little frustrating, but the 2 of them are on decent terms, even if Saguru does get a kick out of calling him Kid when no one else is around. Although I'm not quite sure if the reason why he watches Nakamori closely a he does is because she's close to the Kid's other self, or because he wouldn't mind dating her. But either way, it's amusing to watch.   
  
Both the Kid and Nakamori are oblivious to the entire exchange, the girl taking notes and the Kid looking like he's asleep with his eyes open. Not that it really matters, he'll still easily pass the up coming test with a minimum of hassle. That's just the kind of person he is.   
  
The kind of person I want.   
  
And what Akako wants, Akako always gets.   
  
And Akako has a plan...   
  
*  
  
The Kid has a heist Sunday.   
  
Nakamori asked the Kid if he had wanted to go see a movie about the same time, one of their favourite anime series had just come out with a new movie.   
  
The Kid agreed. So did I. Without their knowledge.  
  
With the two of them immersed in a a heated debate on if the Game King could beat Sai in a game of Go, it was easy enough to slide into a seat next to them to watch the movie without them realising it.   
  
About halfway thru the movie, the Kid slipped out, leaving a balloon shaped vaguely like him in his place. Nakamori didn't even notice, much to my satisfaction. I would almost think he had done this before.  
  
With the Kid gone, it was easy enough to cast a nullification spell, temporarily preventing any spells from being used except for mine. It's a handy spell to know. And since we were indoors, the forces of nature couldn't come to the Kid's aid this time.   
  
I sat back and watched the movie. It wasn't that bad actually, even if I've never been a big Lupin fan. He sort of reminded me of the Kid in some ways.  
  
The Kid came back at the end credits, dropping down from the ceiling to where his seat was as graceful as a dove. Nakamori grabbed his arm, as she rose, the lights coming on. "Just a minute Kaito!" She scolded. "Don't leave without m-"  
  
The expression of surprise on her face was priceless as she realised that she was holding the Phantom Thief by the wrist. And for one brief second, as he stared back into the wide startled eyes of his long time friend, the Kid was un-guarded.  
  
It was the opening I had been waiting for. A quick toss and a necklace of beads and charms settled around his neck. There was a *poof!* and tiny cloud of smoke appeared as his clothes changed back into the jeans and shirt he'd been wearing before, Nakamori still holding on to his wrist.  
  
She gave a small yelp as she dropped his wrist and jumped backwards, her pale face accenting terrified blue eyes. He didn't move. He couldn't, the beads held him immobile until I gave him an order.   
  
I laughed, giddy on the feeling of victory as I draped myself over him. He was mine now.   
  
"Follow me." I ordered with a grin, leading him out of the theatre. He did, his movements easy, but lacking the natural grace he normally did. Aoko stayed shock still, watching us leave with out a word. None of the other theatre patrons took any notice of what had happened, being caught up in collecting their jackets, purses and children and moving towards the exits, chattering among themselves.   
  
Save one.  
  
Saguru glared at me as he passed us, moving towards Nakamori. "That was cruel." He growled.  
  
I smirked at him. His opinions on it didn't matter. I had won.  
  
What Akako wants, Akako gets.  
  
*  
  
School the next day was amusing.   
  
The Kid escorted me to my seat, then sat down in his. Aoko was already sitting in her seat. Neither of them looked at each other, performing a strange little dance at their desks to keep from even casually brushing each other, where as normally they wouldn't have cared.   
  
During the lunch break, the Kid and I ate our food under a tree and I fed him special delights from my bento. Aoko and Saguru lurked from the shadows for a while before Saguru pulled the blue girl away.   
  
I was on cloud nine the entire day.  
  
*  
  
The Kid was a perfect servant. Quiet, obedient, always ready with a quick witted quip or a trick when ever the situation called for it.   
  
I should have been happy, and begun plotting my conquest of the world.   
  
And yet... a vague sense of dissatisfaction began to plague me.  
  
*  
  
The Kid sat on one of my large chairs that could have doubled as a throne a few days later as I reclined in his lap, my arms draped around his shoulders as I tangled my fingers in his hair. He was mine, all mine...  
  
And I felt as if something was missing.   
  
I had what I wanted. With the Kid under my spell, the world was mine for the plucking. And yet I didn't feel the thrill of conquest that I had always anticipated. There was nothing.   
  
Fingers tracing his jawline, I peered at the Kid's face. There was something missing from there too. He was dressed the part alright, but... it was lacking. Like a dress up doll.   
  
Then it hit me. The eyes. His eyes, which had always been a shining blue vortex, were now almost a grey shade. Still pretty, and flattering to his golden skin and raven's wing black hair, but wrong.   
  
The eyes are the windows to the soul.   
  
"Are you happy here with me?" I asked idly, watching him.   
  
The words were immediate, automatic. "Of course, Mistress." His expression didn't change, it remained in an almost bland neutral expression. His voice too, now that I paused to listen to it was flat, expressionless. I could have been asking if he'd like a rabid weasel down his pants and he probably would have replied the same.   
  
"Would you rather be with the blue girl?" I pressed, hoping for a reaction. Before, talk of any of the Nakamori clan would have brought a different kind of gleam to his eye, an almost fond look.   
  
"Never, Mistress."   
  
It was the same. It was as if a puppet were talking.  
  
Well, of course a puppet was talking. That's what the necklace did. It made the wearer completely obedient to the spell caster's will. But still, something was missing. The Kid I had chased for these months should have been fighting it. Instead of this... resigned look in his eyes. All the fight was missing from his eyes.  
  
As well as the laughter, the mischievousness, the intelligence, the wild and carefree spark... everything that I loved about the Phantom Thief I had chased... it was all gone.  
  
HIs heart was gone.  
  
That was cruel, Saguru had said. I had thought he meant that I had captured the Kid and he had not... but now I wondered. I think he meant the -way- I captured the Kid.   
  
I did it in front of Nakamori. She had seen, and been terrified. Terrified of -him-. He, who considered her his closest friend. Maybe something more...  
  
Without the heart, there was nothing to tell the Mind to keep thinking, or his Spirit to keep struggling. I might have just as easily reached into his chest cavity, pulled out his beating red heart and eaten it with a side of fava beans and white wine. It wasn't just the beads that was keeping him compliant, there was simply nothing there.   
  
No freedom, no heart, and no hope.   
  
This wasn't the Kid.   
  
It was the Kid, but it wasn't the Kid I wanted.  
  
I had gotten what I wanted, and it wasn't it.  
  
"Do you love me?" I asked, leaning my head against his shoulder, like a petulant little child in search of re-assurance.  
  
"Of course, Mistress."  
  
Lies. It wasn't in his eyes. I reached up and brushed some hair out of his eyes, then traced the lines on his face across his brow, down his cheek, brushed the jawline, then reached a hand around his neck again. He didn't respond until I un-clasped the necklace, causing it to slide off of him to land in a pool in my lap. His body jerked, like he'd just received a small shock.   
  
Silence reigned as he took a deep breath, and I could hear his heartbeat pick up under the fabric my ear was pressed up against. He glanced down, looking at me for the first time since I had ensnared him. I smiled back, feeling wistful.   
  
"I think you need to go." I said, suddenly finding the knot of his tie fascinating. I had thought, with the aid of the necklace, I could mold him to the shape I desired, much like you would clay. But instead of being pliant earth under my fingers, he was made of wood, which is flexible, bending without breaking under the strain.   
  
In order to shape wood, one must carve from what is already there. In this case, cut away the very things I admired. I was finding the price a bit too high for my tastes for world conquest. The fun of it was gone.  
  
I sat up, carefully straightening his tie, tucking it back under his white jacket and smoothing it out. "There's someone you need to talk to." I said, by way of explanation.  
  
He tilted his head, looking at me with distant blue-grey eyes. The blue was coming back as hope and freedom presented themselves. That was as much as I could do. He nodded once, and I rose from my seat, taking the beads with me.   
  
The Kid followed, his movements still slightly stiff, but with a bit more of his old grace. He took off his hat and gave me an old fashion western bow. "Thank you for your hospitality." He said politely.  
  
I nearly laughed. He was still so strange. I waved it off. "No, thank you... Kaito-kun."   
  
The half smile he gave me before turning to leave was enough to let me know he forgave me.   
  
Now if I could only forgive myself...  
  
*  
  
Kid walked me to school the next morning, walking along side me without a word like he had for the previous days. I didn't ask, and he didn't comment.   
  
We stepped thru the gates, and walked past Nakamori. The blue girl was doing her best to ignore us, until Kid left my side to walk over to her. "Hello." His voice was casual, masking any uneasiness he might have felt.   
  
Nakamori jerked, looking up at him. She then peered at his neck, looking for the necklace that was locked in a chest in the bottom of one of my basements. "Kaito?" She ventured. He nodded.  
  
And nearly flew into the tree several feet behind him as Nakamori launched herself at him in a massive glomp. He froze for a second, gapeing like a startled fish, his hands off to his sides as if he wasn't sure what to do. I snorted, a half chuckle, the noise attracting his attention. I motioned with a toss of my head for him to hug her back and continued on to the school.   
  
In a way, I was jealous. But, their friendship was stronger then her anger. And they were good for each other. That didn't mean it didn't hurt however.  
  
Saguru was watching them from the front steps, an amused smirk on his face. I paused a few feet from them and glanced back. Kid had his arms wrapped around her, his chin resting on the top of Nakamori's head with a peaceful expression on his face. "I talked to her." Saguru said conversationally. "About the Kid."   
  
"And?"  
  
"I think she's still a little mad at him."  
  
As if on cue, Nakamori took a step back and slugged the Kid in the arm, shouting at him at the top of her lungs for not telling her. She was at least smart enough not to comment about what.   
  
Kid paused for a split second, then flipped her skirt and took off running across the campus laughing all the way as Nakamori gave chase, hot on his heels. The casual observer probably wouldn't have noticed the un-usually bright happy sparkle in their eyes and the glee in their grins.  
  
The Kid is like me, he knows what loneliness is. He's walked with it, wrapped himself in it and used it as a barrier.  
  
But unlike me, he has someone he can banish that barrier with, and take comfort in their company.  
  
"I'm surprised at you." I commented, pleased that I wouldn't have to do anything to Nakamori. "With Kuroba out of the way, I would have thought that you would have made your move on Nakamori."  
  
Saguru looked amused, his arms crossed. "There are some people that you are interested in dateing because you're looking for a mate. There are others that you want to date just to get them in bed-" He shot me a pointed glare, a not-so subtle dig at my capture of the Kid. I replied with a cool look of my own, ignoring the jibe. What I did was my own business, not his, no matter how misguided he was. He continued. "-And then there are those that you would like to date so that you can get to know them better."  
  
"And Nakamori falls into the later for you?"  
  
"If I ever had a sister, I'd want her to be like her." He said honestly. We paused to watch as Kid and Nakamori completed their first lap around the main building. They'd probably make it around the building a half dozen more times before making it back inside, and still have enough energy to chase each other around the classroom. "Get him, Aoko-chan!!!" Saguru shouted, encouraging her on.   
  
I chuckled, amused as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. Saguru wasn't as quite strong as the Kid or the raven that once chased him, but he is still quite intelligent and had a force of will that was stronger than most men. He wouldn't just roll over and play dead because I said so.   
  
Not to mention he wasn't too bad looking either.   
  
I slid an arm around his, gently pulling him inside. "Tell me, Saguru-kun..." I said with a grin "How do you feel about... snakes?"  
  
I always get what I want.  
  
-fin-  
  
Akako (crimson child) + Kuroba (black feather) = Dark Red or Burgundy.   
(Voices have also assigned the 5 main characters one of the 5 Chinese Elements. Akako is Fire, and Kaito is Wood/Air.)  
  
In this case, Akako went from a scary character we didn't want to touch, to one that had a hidden past, hidden strength.We wanted to know what would she do if she ever did catch the Kid.   
We're also fond of the Akako + Hakuba pairing. ^^;; (thanks, Magik!)   
Thanks to Hauntress for the Beta read!!  
  
"Game King could beat Sai in a game of Go" - yes, Yu-Gi-Oh! vs. Hikaru no Go. we're fans of both series.  
  
Akako also states that a witches power is broken when a witch cries... we may end up playing with that later on. 


	2. Aoko : Indigo

Indigo  
By Icka! M. Chif  
  
Kaito is not a boy.  
  
Well, okay, he is a boy, he's just never been one to me. Does that make sense?  
  
Let me start over.   
  
Kaito and I first met in front of the Clock Tower Kid the Phantom Thief tried to steal a few months back. I think we were just entering first grade at the time. Dad had said to wait for him there, he was busy but he was going to try to pick me up from there.   
  
Dad eventually did show up, but by that time I had forgotten all about him. Kaito, bold as day, had walked up to me and introduced himself, giving me the first flower I'd ever received. I think I still have it somewhere, not that I'd tell him that. It's dried out by now, and the colour has faded, but the memory of it still makes me smile.   
  
We lost track of time, running around in front of Clock Tower, talking and laughing. By the end of an hour, we had already decided with all the wisdom in our young hearts that we had just found our new best friend, with whom we were going to be with forever.   
  
And we have too.   
  
Kaito was the first person I ever met who was like me, a little bit touched. Not touched like most people mean, mentally insane, even if that is occasionally debateable. But touched as in touched by the Wild, something untameable. Both of us are, he to a far greater extent than I. Neither of us can quite blend in, no matter how much we try. Which, I have to admit, isn't very often.  
  
It was to my surprise a few days later when school started that Kaito appeared in my classroom. I grinned, waved and invited him to sit next to me.   
  
We've sat next to each other ever since then. Even when the teacher has assigned seats, or put us in alphabetical order, we've always ended up side by side. It's become a bit of a running joke, a bit of a habit. The few times that we haven't ended up next to each other it's felt odd not having him by my side until he's joined me again.  
  
Then there was the one time in third or fourth grade, just about the time that kids develop the irrational fear of 'cooties' from the opposite gender, that I had a slumber party over at my house. Dad was insistent on the fact that it be 'girls only', even though I whined and begged and pleaded to let him have Kaito come. Because Kaito wasn't some icky boy, Kaito was Kaito, right?  
  
But Dad was insistent that it be only girls. So just as everyone was arriving, Kaito shows up, climbing up the wall to appear in my bedroom in the confusion. Only it's not quite Kaito. He had a fake braid and was wearing the cutest little pink pyjama top and bottoms I've ever seen, with little hearts and clouds all over them. He demanded to be called 'Yume', refusing to respond to anything else.   
  
So 'Yume' joined the party and we all had a good time, Kaito blending in as if he'd always been one of the girls. I don't think Dad ever figured out that there was an extra person at the party either...   
  
It's worked both ways. I can't tell you how many baseball and soccer games I've gotten into because of Kaito's insistence to the other players that I wasn't a girl, I just happened to wear a skirt.   
  
Actually, I think that's where the skirt flipping thing came from, sliding into the bases during baseball games. It wasn't that he was interested in a being a pervert or anything, it was that he was surprised that my underwear came in different colours. At least originally, even though he still occasionally acts depressed if I'm just wearing plain white. But now I think it's an excuse to try new tricks and get me to chase him around.  
  
I like chasing him around. No one else can move as quickly or as gracefully as Kaito can, and I'm the only one who can keep up with him long enough to really see it.   
  
Not that I've ever told Dad about that.   
  
Kaito is one of the few people Dad actually approves of to a certain extent. He's come home late a few times to find Kaito and I fast asleep on the couch, watching a movie or studying, something like that. If it was anyone else, he probably would throw a fit. But because it's Kaito, it's okay. Kaito's not a boy. He's just... Kaito.   
  
I've caught Dad a few times, in that haze between wakefulness and not, carefully covering us up with a blanket. If I ever said anything about it, he'd probably deny it, so I smile instead and say nothing.   
  
In return, Dad is one of the people Kaito actually respects. He'll ask how Dad's doing, or if Dad's working late on a case, Kaito'll suggest we bring him something to eat. Just small things, but enough to know that he cares.  
  
Other people might find it strange that I was raised by my Dad and Kaito, but to me it's not. I wouldn't imagine it any other way. It's been that way for almost as long as I can remember, and I thought it would never change.  
  
Well, I was wrong.  
  
The other day I glanced over at Kaito and realised something that shook me to the core. He was staring past me, to look outside the window as he often does. Maybe it was the set of his jaw, or something in his eyes, but for the first time I realised that sometime while the rest of us were busy with schoolwork and friends, Kaito had grown up. He'd become a man. A young man, but a man none the less.   
  
I felt awkward then, like a drab sparrow next to a radiant phoenix. We'd always been side by side before, and yet somehow Kaito had moved far ahead of me without me realising it.   
  
He noticed my stare and tossed me a wink, giving me that crooked grin that he saves for special occasions, the one that he only seems to give me. I hesitantly smiled back, then turned to face the teacher again.   
  
But I haven't forgotten. Something has happened, something that has made him mature, made him change from the carefree egomaniac I've always known. Something that he won't tell me about, something that started when the Kid re-appeared again. I don't know what it is, but it really doesn't matter either.  
  
Because I'm maturing too. And some day, I'll run beside him again.  
  
-fin-  
  
'Yume' means 'Dream', by the way. 


	3. Hakuba : Grey

The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown;  
The Lion beat the Unicorn all about the town.   
Some gave them white bread and some gave them brown;  
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town!  
-Children's Rhyme  
  
Mixed with Black: Grey  
By Icka! M. Chif  
  
  
"I've got you now Ki-" Hakuba's triumphant statement was cut off in mid cry as the Kid turned around and clamped a hand over his mouth.   
  
"Shhhh!" The thief hissed. "Do you want to get shot at too?"  
  
Hakuba blinked. Did the Kid mean that he'd shoot him, or that someone else would shoot him? He froze, wondering what the heck brought around this turn of events.   
  
The Kid pressed him up against the wall of the air duct for a moment, leaning past him, his senses obviously straining at something behind them. What ever it was, it was enough to spook the Kid.  
  
Slowly, the Kid un-tensed, carefully removing his hand from his mouth. "Let's go." He whispered. "And keep quiet."  
  
With un-natural ease, the Kid continued to move forward inside the ducts, making sure that the detective stayed with him. Hakuba stayed silent, sensing the need for stealth that over weighed the urge to capture the elusive thief.   
  
Finally they emerged from the maze of tunnels on to the roof of the building. The Kid looked around carefully before climbing out, and then allowing the blond to follow. "Alright." The Kid let a relived sigh, the tenseness leaving as the smiling mask slipped back up. "Well, this is where we say Good Night."  
  
"Wait!" Hakuba moved to grab him again, only to have the Kid's glider snap open and carry the phantom thief out of reach, into the night sky.   
  
He growled in frustration, cursing at himself for following the Kid instead of grabbing him in the air ducts, before marching downstairs to join the rest of the police force.  
  
Only to be stopped as several officers ran through the corridors with first aid kits. One of the security guards had been shot at by a second group of thieves who had been using the Kid's appearance as a distraction. It had happened in the room below where the Kid had silenced him.  
  
A cold shudder ran through him when he realised just how close he had probably come to being either killed or severely injured. The Kid's intervention had probably saved his life, no one would have thought to look for him in the ducts had he been shot in there.  
  
Which brought around the disturbing question of 'why'.  
  
  
***  
  
  
'Whatever I've done... I've been staring down the Barrel of a Gun...'  
  
The words flashed through the Kid's mind as he stared at the gun pointed at him. Being a Phantom thief, he'd learned that it wasn't the weapons he needed to be wary of, but the person holding on to it.  
  
He looked up past the dark abyss the gun barrel held into the cold, expressionless eyes of Hakuba Saguru. The Detective would fire without hesitation if he moved. And with Hakuba's marksmanship and their close proximity, there would be no way he would miss.   
  
The detective wouldn't shoot to kill, either. He'd do far worse, shooting an arm or a leg in order to wound or maim him, which would lead to an inevitable capture and imprisonment.  
  
They stared at each other for in innumerable amount of heartbeats, neither of them moving.  
  
Then without changing expression, Hakuba put the safety back on the gun, turned on his heel and walked off without a word.  
  
Kid stared after him, long past the time he should have moved to make his way home.  
  
What the hell had just happened here?!  
  
  
***  
  
  
The drift to wakefulness was slow, but constant. The first thing he was aware of was a slight draft across his chest. It wasn't chilly, just slightly below comfortable. He wasn't wearing a shirt. His shoes were missing too, as was his hat, but to his relief, he still had his monocle and gloves.   
  
His shoulder throbbed, informing him un-necessarily that it hurt. So did his head. Everything else appeared to be in working order, but to really be sure he would have to move, something that he wasn't sure he wanted to do.   
  
He strained his other senses, still immersed in the daze of not-wake, but aware of something being 'not quite right'. He was lying on some sort of mattress, or bed, but it didn't smell like his bedroom, nor the hidden lair under the house that was his father's workshop, where he occasionally fell asleep when working on a project. It was quiet, so it wasn't Jii's place either, with the noise of people chattering, the crashing of billiard balls and the acidic stink of cigarette smoke.   
  
Someone moved next to him, and something passed his cheek, pressing on the soft surface under his head, causing him to turn slightly towards it. He opened his eyes a crack, to find himself gazing into piercing amber eyes just inches from his face.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment as his brain did a hard boot and started to work. It primarily went around in confused chaotic circles wondering why he was on a bed. With no shirt. And Hakuba leaning waayyy to close to his personal space for comfort. Hakuba, for his part, was pretty much un-readable. He wasn't moving closer, but he wasn't backing off either.   
  
Finally the Detective broke the silence. "You." Hakuba Saguru said slowly, taking care to pronounce each word with deliberate care, "Are an idiot."  
  
The intellectual response that came out of the Kid's mouth was "Nnngh?"  
  
It wasn't quite what he had intended to say, but that was about the only thing he could get out.   
  
Hakuba let out a soft sigh, then shifted to help him sit up. He would have protested, on pride alone, but found he had his hands full just keeping from getting dizzy at the movement.   
  
"Drink." Hakuba ordered, pressing a bottle into his hands.   
  
He stared at the bottle in his hand, his mind furiously working as his arms refused to move. Actually, compared to normal conditions, it probably was a snails pace, but it felt frantic. The water could be drugged, or poisoned, and WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING HERE?!  
  
Hakuba moved to help him drink and he twitched, his body finally obeying his commands to move.  
  
"I can do it." He muttered, his mouth dry and cottony. A part of him continued to whisper that it might be poisoned or drugged, but it passed and he took a slow careful sip from the bottle. Hakuba watched him from his perch on the side of the bed the entire time, saying nothing.   
  
The water felt good going down his throat, bringing welcome moisture to the otherwise parched tissue and he quickly finished the bottle with out realising it. Hakuba took it from him as his arm dropped woodenly. "Good." He said, looking pleased as he rose from the bed.  
  
The Kid blinked, vertigo over taking him for a second, then his vision cleared and he took the opportunity to glance around. He was in a small bedroom that could have been a modified closet. There was a bed, which he was sitting on, a small table, two chairs, one with his missing clothes folded neatly on it, and not much else in the room. White walls, no windows and two doors, one which was shut and the other that led to a small bathroom, where Hakuba was re-filling the bottle.  
  
"Where?" He croaked, his voice cracking despite the liquid he had just consumed.  
  
"My laboratory." Hakuba said calmly. "I use this room occasionally when I'm working late and need a nap. No one else knows you're here."  
  
That was either an extremely good thing or an extremely bad thing.  
  
"Here." Hakuba walked back and handed him 2 pills and the now full bottle. "Pain killers. You probably need them. In addition to knocking yourself out, you managed to dislocated your shoulder."  
  
Squinting a little, he made out the words 'aspirin' on them. Unless the English detective had taken up carving words in little white pills with toothpicks, it was most likely exactly what he said it was. And right now, this was exactly what he needed. He tilted his head back and swallowed them, taking a few sips of water to follow them down.  
  
Hakuba watched him as he did so, his posture and expression betraying nothing. Kid sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he rested his head against the wall. "Haven't seen you lately." He finally commented, cracking his eyes open a slit to watch the detective through his eyelashes.   
  
"I've been keeping an eye on you." Hakuba crossed his arms, his face falling back into the stern expression he had woken up to seeing a few inches from his face. "You are an idiot."  
  
He had said that already. "Why?"  
  
"During the past 2 weeks, you've faced off against the police, a black sorceress, some mobsters after your head, some different gun men after your head, some security officers, the police a few more times, the sorceress AGAIN and the mob once more tonight." The detectives voice got progressively louder as he talked. "I'm amazed you're able to stay awake in class at all with the amount of hours you've been putting in lately."  
  
Kid shrugged. "No guts, no glory."  
  
"No brain, same story." Hakuba snapped back.  
  
The Kid stared at him for a second. "... Did you just crack a joke?"  
  
Hakuba shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe?"  
  
"Heh." He grinned tiredly. It hurt to smile, but to see Hakuba break out of character it was worth it. "So.... what happens now?" He ventured. "You've caught me... right?"  
  
Hakuba's eyebrows came back down, the uncertainty fading away to be replaced by something fierce. "I'm trying to capture the International Criminal 1412, not some idiot playing chicken with buildings."  
  
Playing chicken would explain why he felt so sore. Sometimes the wind was NOT your friend...  
  
"And you-" Hakuba jabbed a finger at him. "-are going to stay there until -I- am completely satisfied that you are well enough to go to school without mishap. And if that means I have to pull out the welding torch and chain you to that bed, so help me I will!"  
  
He simply stared at Hakuba. That had to have been one of the -weirdest- things he had ever heard the English detective say.  
  
And there was not a doubt in his mind that Hakuba meant it too.  
  
Brows furrowed, he opened his mouth to ask but the detective cut him off again. "When you are finally caught, it will be by ME. MY capture, on MY terms, when -I- decide and not a moment sooner. No one else is allowed to beat you before I do. Is that clear?" Hakuba snapped, the venomous in his voice surprising.  
  
"I'm not planning on allowing my self get caught." He shot back, ignoring the touch of vertigo that accompanied the bite in his voice.   
  
"Good." To his surprise, Hakuba shot him a partial grin. "It wouldn't be worth the challenge if you were. And right now, even Sleeping Kogoro could capture you while awake."  
  
"Hey! That's a low blow!" Especially considering that Mouri Kogoro was only a front for the one person who had come the closest to actually capturing him... not that he'd tell Hakuba that.   
  
"Heh." The detective crossed his arms, flashing him a smug expression.  
  
"But then, of course, you do realise that this is all the matchbook's fault." The Kid said conversationally, abruptly changing the topic. The detective was starting to get a bit too smug there, it was safer to have him at least a little off balance.  
  
"Matchbook?" Hakuba echoed, puzzled.  
  
The Kid gave a half nod before realising that it probably wasn't the best idea to do because it made the world spin around a bit more than it should have. "Found a it one day with the words 'You too can be a criminal mastermind!' written on the inside cover. Poof! The next day I discovered I was Kid the Phantom Thief."  
  
Hakuba raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."  
  
"Completely." The Thief amiably agreed, shifting his arm to a more comfortable position. "When are the pain killers supposed to kick in again?"  
  
"About another 20 minutes..." Hakuba shook his head. "You're insane, you do realise that?"  
  
"You're not the first to say so."  
  
"Nor will I probably be the last."  
  
"True. But then one definition of insanity is to do the same thing as everyone else, but expect a different result."   
  
Hakuba's eyebrow rose again. "And this is the reaction you expected from playing chicken with a building?"  
  
Let's see... Wake up in Hakuba's lab, bandaged, missing clothes and having a halfway decent conversation with the English Detective-? "Not really, no. I would have expected to win."  
  
The comment brought about another grin to the Detective's usually serious face. "Well, you'll be sad to know that you lost twice tonight. I found the jewel in your pockets and already gave it back to the police. They've already disposed of the fake you left behind."  
  
"What?!" The Kid straightened up too fast and grimaced as the world decided to do loop-de-loops around him. "You idiot! The object of tonight's heist was to put back the real one!"  
  
That got a blank look from the normally stone-faced detective. "Huh?"  
  
He groaned. 2 weeks of work down the drain, just like that. "That gang you were talking about stole it first, I stole it back from them then staged tonight's heist to return it without anyone being the wiser. That 'fake' I left behind was the original stone."  
  
"Wait... You stole a large and expensive gem -back- from a bunch of thieves and murders, just to simply give it back to the original owners with out anybody realising it!?" Hakuba looked completely confused by the idea. "Why?!"  
  
He sighed. "That's what Phantom Thieves do, Hakuba, they protect stuff. It may be an ass-backwards way of doing it, but it works. Most of the time anyway."  
  
"And what do you protect?"  
  
The Kid smirked. "You're the Holmes nut. You figure it out."  
  
"Heh." Hakuba snorted, amused. "Fine. I will. With out any 'helpful' comments from the peanut gallery if you would. I'm going to figure you out on my own."  
  
"Mum's the word." He agreed. Raising his un-injured arm, he pressed his fingers against his lips and whistled. His coat, hanging on the back of the chair, almost seemed to disappear in a small cloud of white as several doves flew out of it, cooing all the while.   
  
Hakuba gaped in surprise as they flew to the thief, using him as a perch, landing on his head, shoulders, arms and legs, cooing all the while as their claws and feathers tickled him. It was a re-assuring sensation, one that brought a measure of peace and comfort. There hadn't been a time in his life when there hadn't had doves around him, their soft noises lulling him to sleep most nights.  
  
"I didn't find a single one when I checked your jacket." Hakuba commented in amazement. One of his bolder birds decided that Hakuba's head was the perfect perch, and landed there, much to Hakuba's irritation.  
  
He smiled, checking them over for injuries and petting the ones who demanded attention. None of them seemed injured, just bored from being cooped up for so long. "I'm not surprised." All his birds were well trained to stay hidden, even when things got strange.  
  
"You're still a nutter." Hakuba commented, reaching up and awkwardly attempting to untangle the bird from his hair. Doves were different than hawks, however, and he didn't have much luck. "Watson's in his roost for the night, if I open a window, can they find their way home?"  
  
He yawned, his limbs very heavy and not just from the slight weight of the doves on them. He was tired and still sore, but on some level he knew he could relax and sleep to heal without worrying. He didn't exactly trust Hakuba per se, but the British Detective pretty much already knew who he was, even if he couldn't exactly -prove- it, and he'd already proven that his sense of honour wouldn't let him take advantage of a fallen enemy.   
  
"Yeah, no problem."  
  
Hakuba nodded once, then disappeared, leaving him alone for a moment with the comfort of his doves. Feeling exhausted, he slowly lay back down, the doves adjusting to his movements, temporarily becoming a warm living feathered blanket.   
  
He relaxed, drifting off until a soft footstep marked the entrance to his host. The doves also stirred, watching the detective. "The bathroom window's open, if you think they can get to it."  
  
Cracking open an eyelid, he noticed with some amusement that Hakuba still had the dove in his hair. With a lazy toss of his good arm, he threw the dove resting on it into the air. "Home."  
  
With a flapping of wings and a mournful cooing sound, they took off into the air, flying around the room until one of them discovered the breeze from the bathroom window and they funnelled out.  
  
"Smart birds." Hakuba commented, impressed. "Not a single one of them hit the window."  
  
He was vaguely insulted that the other boy would expect anything less of his birds and he briefly wondered if he had set it up so that the birds would hit the window. While his birds did tend to be smarter than most, they still weren't the most intelligent creatures around. "Of course." He commented loftily, allowing his arm dropping back down next to him.   
  
The blond detective snorted to himself, and wandered off. The Kid breathed a small sigh, his body relaxing into the mattress as he began to drift off.   
  
He was surprised to hear Hakuba's approach a second time, and even more surprised to feel a blanket tossed over him, and carefully settled. The British detective snorted, muttering wryly to himself. "Never thought I'd end up doing this for an enemy."   
  
Kid opened his eye a fraction, his eyelids too heavy to open wider than that, but silently grateful for the warmth and measure of security the soft blanket brought. "I'd rather prefer to think of us as rivals instead of enemies."  
  
Hakuba's eyebrow rose. "Really? Why is that?"  
  
"Because rivals make better friends."  
  
"That doesn't mean that I'm going to stop chasing you."  
  
"We're all chasing after something." The thief said, his voice taking on a dreamy tone as he drifted off to sleep again. "You chase the thief, I chase a myth at the bottom of a box, and Nakamori-kun chases the phantom of someone long dead..."  
  
  
****  
  
  
"Oi! Hakuba-kun!" The detective glanced up from his book in time to see the wild haired thief suddenly trip and land face down in a sprawl inches from where he sat, leaning against one of the trees on the school campus.   
  
Kuroba lifted his head from the ground, spitting out a blade of grass. "That's not funny, Koizumi!"  
  
The burgundy haired girl snickered and wiggled her fingers in greeting from the background. The witch and the thief shared a strange sort of relationship that Hakuba felt much safer not inquiring too deeply about.   
  
"You," He said slowly, using a slip of paper as a bookmark "Remind me of an albatross. Graceful in the air, but completely awkward on the ground."  
  
"Yeah, well..." The thief sat up, brushing leaves and grass off his clothes with a grin. "You know what they say about flying. It's just throwing yourself at the ground and missing."  
  
Hakuba raised an eyebrow. "I'd say you failed."  
  
"This time." Kuroba corrected. "Anyway. Aoko and some of us were thinking of heading down to the mall. You wanna come?"  
  
When he had decided to 'rescue' the Kid several weeks back, it had had and unforeseen result. The thief had been serious about their being both friends and rivals. The mental battles between himself and the Kid were fiercer now, played smarter and trickier than before. Riddles that had once been aimed at Nakamori's intelligence level were now aimed at his. The challenge that he had sought after was taken to a new level.   
  
The Kid also seemed to be taking great delight in giving the object of the heist back by slipping it into the pockets of either Nakamori or himself.  
  
But when the Kid didn't have a heist in the works, things had changed between Kuroba and himself as well. As absurd as it sounded, he and the thief were slowly becoming... friends. That didn't stop them from bickering or fighting between each other, but the thief was making an honest attempt to include him in their group's activities.   
  
And it was working.   
  
He smirked. "You just want another guy to come along too, don't you?"  
  
Kuroba shrugged gamely. "They're just jealous because I happen to look better in a dress than they do."  
  
Although he still wasn't exactly sure about Kuroba's sense of humour at times. He was joking... wasn't he?  
  
"Alright." He shut his book and rose to his feet, the thief flipping to his feet in an acrobatic way.   
  
After all, they saying went, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.   
  
Right?  
  
-fin-  
  
Hakuba = White Horse, Kuroba = Black Feather. Black + White = Grey  
  
Because of 'Golden Eye', Hakuba went from a pervy Kaitou fancier who was jumping the Kid to wrestle handcuffs on him to an interesting character. The question of why Hakuba, who is the Kid's self-proclaimed rival, would help him bugged me.   
So Hakuba went from a shallow perverted character to one with some depth, but a rather large stick up his *ahem*.  
  
Hakuba's element is Earth.  
  
Each of the 'Mixed with Black' stories has had a song that's helped defined the character. Akako was 'What Lola wants', Aoko had 'Wild Child' by Enya, and for this one it was a Depeche Mode song 'Barrel of a Gun'. o_O Too many fan art pics of Hakuba with guns I guess...   
  
  
... there's also a Japanese Yaoi click called 'Black or White' for the Hakuba/Kuroba pairing. ^_^ 


	4. Kaito : Black

"Take no unnecessary risks. Above all, avoid attacks, approach enemy with great prudence and there you are!"   
-Arséné Lupin  
  
Mixed with Black: **Black**  
By Icka! M. Chif  
  
The rules of a Kaitou are simple, and few. But they're really all that separate us from the common petty thieves. For while we may be thieves, we are anything but common or petty.  
  
First off, _A Kaitou never steals without a reason. _  
  
This is the main thing that separates us from the common thieves. Usually the reason we steal is because it's for other people. A Kaitou rarely steals for themselves, the heist is either returned after it is not needed or it is given to someone else.   
  
After all, we're not in this for the money.   
  
Heh.  
  
_A Kaitou is always polite and courteous._  
  
After all, it takes so little to be polite, and the curses you get in return is well worth the tiny effort to greet your victims, er, the police officers at the door. Or thank them for showing up.   
  
I suppose sending a Warning Notice before the heist is a part of that. After all, it doesn't hurt to give them a little heads up that someone is coming to take their valuables.  
  
Is not like they've ever come close to catching me either.   
  
Okay, so maybe once or twice, but we don't talk about it. There is a reputation to maintain after all.   
  
_ A Kaitou does not kill or cause harm to others._  
  
Ideally, the Kaitou's job is to sneak in, get the object of the heist and sneak out without anyone knowing the wiser, never mind the fact that we have sent a warning notice a head of time to let them know exactly when and what we're going to take. Or maybe trade a few barbs with the police officers for fun. Which it is, despite their grumbling.  
  
A Kaitou's job is not to hurt, maim, kill or otherwise injure someone. As crazy as it sounds, a Kaitou's role is to protect. Jii waxes nostalgic about it sometimes, but he's an old fart who's forgotten more than I've learned yet so he's allowed to. Kaitou protect the history and integrity of the jewels we steal. Really, is anyone going to take a part a bracelet or a necklace or a clock tower once a Kaitou has stolen and returned it? I think not. It adds polish and shine to the reputation.   
  
Besides, as a general rule, we do not deal with animate objects. Jewels, paintings, statues, things like that. You want somebody hurt or killed? Go find yourself an assassin or a thug. That's not our job.  
  
_ A Kaitou is always dramatic._  
  
Come on, if you're going to steal, you know you're going to steal, the police know you're going to steal, heck, the whole WORLD knows you're going to steal, why not have some fun with it?  
  
So always take the time to pose dramatically. The Moon and the Stars make wonderful backdrops. Spotlights can sometimes, other times they're just a pain.   
  
And the role of Kaitou is a hazardous one. If you're going down, you might as well look good at it.   
  
Besides, it looks -really- cool.  
  
-fin-  



End file.
